WHY GAS IS DIRTY AND DANGEROUS

The document asserts that natural gas is not a clean energy source, detailing how its production, transport, and combustion cause significant environmental degradation and health issues. It highlights the potency of methane leaks and the high carbon emissions from LNG and gas-to-power plants, particularly in the South African context. The author recommends a holistic lifecycle impact assessment to counter the misconception that gas is a viable strategy for reducing emissions.

• Natural gas production and use result in the emission of hazardous air pollutants, including methane, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), benzene, hydrogen sulphide, formaldehyde, and hexane, which degrade air quality and create health risks.
• Gas extraction processes can contaminate water sources through well seal failures and poor waste management, while the high volume of water required for extraction can deplete local supplies in water-scarce regions.
• Exposure to gas industry pollutants is linked to severe health outcomes, including pediatric asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, premature mortality in elderly individuals, and adverse birth outcomes such as congenital heart defects and preterm birth.
• Methane, a primary component of natural gas, is a significantly more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, trapping 84-86 times more heat over a 20-year period and 28-34 times more over a 100-year period.
• Global emissions from burning natural gas accounted for approximately 21% of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2021, totaling some 7.5 billion tonnes (Gt).
• In South Africa, implementing 3,000 megawatts of new gas-to-power facilities fueled by imported LNG would result in annual emissions exceeding 2.5 million tonnes of CO2e if running at 75% capacity.
• The document recommends that South Africa employ a holistic and cumulative lifecycle impact assessment for proposed gas projects to accurately reflect total GHG emissions and counter the myth that gas is the cleanest fossil fuel.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). WHY GAS IS DIRTY AND DANGEROUS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Natural-Gas-factsheet.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. WHY GAS IS DIRTY AND DANGEROUS. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Natural-Gas-factsheet.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=WHY GAS IS DIRTY AND DANGEROUS |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Natural-Gas-factsheet.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndwhy, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{WHY GAS IS DIRTY AND DANGEROUS}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Natural-Gas-factsheet.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }